Toddler Fun, Week 5: Letter F, Number 5, Pink and Flamingos

Oh, my... FLAMINGOS.  Who doesn't love flamingos?!  You just have to love a big, pink bird!!!  Anyway, welcome for our Flamingo/letter F week!

Week 5

Letter: F

Number: 5

Color: Pink

Animal: Flamingo

Activities

1. Going to the Zoo

We are very faithful members of the Jacksonville zoo!  We have more than gotten good use of our membership. Our zoo already had a flamboyance (yes, a group of flamingos is called a flamboyance) of flamingos, and they were Caribbean.  They're one of Aidan's favorites.  But since our last visit, they've added a new flamboyance of African flamingos, which was perfect for us!  We talked about how the African flamingos were lighter pink than the caribbean ones, and we had a wonderful day!

2. Light pink/Dark pink card

I made this card for Aidan, with one light pink side, with the African flamingos, and the other, darker, with the Caribbean ones. What kid doesn't love looking at pictures of himself?!  It's just a fun reminder to have around his books.

3. Wild Kratts Flamingo Power 

Aidan LOVES the Wild Kratts!!  So, his daddy got him a creature power suit (the vest), which came with two creature power discs (the little circle in the middle).  Naturally, over the course of a couple months, they've gotten lost, besides, to get new discs, you have to buy the corresponding toy, and I'm not doing that at this point.  SO, I made him some!  You can find directions for them here.  I made a flamingo one, and then we practiced using our "flamingo powers" to practice standing on one foot (a really important gross-motor milestone).  We also pretended to sift shrimp out of the water with our beaks, moving our heads back and forth, and walking together while moving our heads from right to left (what the males do to get the females' attention).  It was so much fun!

4. Bright Eyed Baby Chunky State Flash Cards

I bought these chunky flash cards when it was a Kickstarter, and I love them so much!  Each set is specific to a certain state, so all the cards are about things that state is famous for.  We've taken them with us on our road trips, for when we get to see one of the things on the cards; mangos, Everglades, marina, manatee, and of course FLAMINGOS  Happily for me, Aidan really loves them too!



5. Flamingo Counting

 We made these really cute flamingos (it'll be in the crafts section).  Then, I wrote numbers 1-5, and had him count them out.  He's really good at counting, but has a little hard time recognizing numbers.  So I thought this was a great way to do both.  Saying them in order, and pointing at them, and 

the flamingos under the numbers.

Snacks

1. Strawberry flamingos

So, for this adorable snack I used 2 strawberries, 1 mandarin section, a Babybell cheese, a white chocolate chip and a little piece of chocolate chip.  Then I cut them all up, and put them together to create this!










2. Watermelon flamingos

For this one, which I like even better than the last one, I used watermelon, a mandarin section, fruit leather, a white chocolate chip, and a little piece of a chocolate chip.  Super, super yummy!

Crafts

1. F is for Flamingo

For this one, I cut out a pink "F", a pink wing, a white beak (I colored the tip black), and a googley eye.  Then, we talked about the letter F, and flamingos, etc.  I put glue on the pieces, and helped him glue them on.  He's such a cutie!

2. Handprint Flamingos

 For this craft, I squeezed out red and white paint.  Then, I helped Aidan mix the two paints to make different shades of pink, painted it on his hand, and made hand prints.  I used a brush to turn the thumb into a head.  Then, I painted on beaks and eyes.  After that, on a separate piece of paper, I painted legs.  Then I cut out the pieces, and taped the legs to the flamingos.  We talked about how everyone is different, but that's what 

makes us special.  I couldn't help but take a picture of them all together, because they look so pretty!  After that, I glued them onto paper, cut out some grass, and wrote "You're Flamazing" at the top.  We're sending 2 to the grandmas, he's keeping one, and one to his leading lady, Amy.

Books and Media

We Read:

1. Florida by Sandra Friend

I love this book, because Sandra talks about the history and agriculture of Florida, which is pretty much all new to me!  She goes by area, which is fantastic.  Flamingos are found down in the Keys, and there's a great little blurb about it.

2. Goodnight Miami by Patricia Baloyra

This book is by a Miami local, Patricia Baloyra.  It's written in the style of Goodnight Moon, and goes over many of the key things about Miami.  One of them is the zoo, and the illustration for that page is a flamingo.  Score!

3. Five Little Monkeys Jumping On the Bed by Eileen Christelow

Of course, this is a classic.  There are no flamingos, naturally, but it's about the number 5, which is perfect!  Plus, jumping.  And monkeys.  Duh.





4. Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Eric Carle

Like I need a reason to read Eric Carle?!  Aidan got this book (and the whole "bear" series) from his Great-Aunt Kathy.  This particular one has a fluting flamingo in it.  Fffffffabulous! 

We Watched:

1. Gnomio and Juliet - this is a little-known movie, and honestly, it's a little adult (not inappropriate, just goes over kids' heads), but it has a flamingo lawn ornament character, which was perfect for our needs.

2. Wild Kratts, Season 1 Episode 38, Birds of a Feather - Of course, we're big fans of Wild Kratts.  Flamingos aren't in the animated part of the episode, but they're at the beginning and end, and you learn fun facts!

3. Kazoops - This is a BBC show, which is now on Netflix now.  It's a cute show, about a boy who uses his imagination a lot, just like our little boy.  Also, in episode 4, there's a very cute flamingo!

* 4. Tinga Tinga Tales  

I found this show after we did "Flamingo" week, but I thought it was worth adding.  I found this show on Netflix.  It tells African (specifically Tanzanian and Kenayn) folk tales about how different animals got their signature characteristics.  One of them is "Why The Flamingo Stands On One Leg.

* 5. The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That, Episode 128b, Pretty in Pink - These episodes are fun, and Aidan loves the Cat in the Hat.  This episode is about Flamingos, and their interesting behaviors and characteristics.